ते प्रगृह्य महाशङ्खान् दध्मुः पुरुषसत्तमाः ॥
पूरयन्तो दिवं राजन् पृथिवीं च ससागराम् ॥
तथैव दध्मतुः शङ्खौ वासुदेवधनंजयौ ॥
प्रवरौ सर्वभूतानां सर्वशङ्खवरौ भुवि ॥
देवदत्तं च कौन्तेयः पाञ्चजन्यं च केशवः ॥
शब्दस् तु देवदत्तस्य धनंजयसमीरितः ॥
पृथिवीं चान्तरिक्षं च दिशश् चैव समावृणोत् ॥
तथैव पाञ्चजन्यो ऽपि वासुदेवसमीरितः ॥
सर्वशब्दान् अतिक्रम्य पूरयाम् आस रोदसी ॥
te pragṛhya mahāśaṅkhān dadhmuḥ puruṣasattamāḥ ||
pūrayanto divaṃ rājan pṛthivīṃ ca sasāgarām ||
tathaiva dadhmatuḥ śaṅkhau vāsudevadhanaṃjayau ||
pravarau sarvabhūtānāṃ sarvaśaṅkhavarau bhuvi ||
devadattaṃ ca kaunteyaḥ pāñcajanyaṃ ca keśavaḥ ||
śabdas tu devadattasya dhanaṃjayasamīritaḥ ||
pṛthivīṃ cāntarikṣaṃ ca diśaś caiva samāvṛṇot ||
tathaiva pāñcajanyo 'pi vāsudevasamīritaḥ ||
sarvaśabdān atikramya pūrayām āsa rodasī ||
They, those excellent men, having seized great conches, blew them, filling the sky, O king, and the earth with its seas. Likewise Vasudeva and Dhananjaya blew their conches -- the best of all beings, bearing the finest of all conches on earth. And the sound of Devadatta, sent forth by Dhananjaya, covered the earth, the sky, and the quarters [of the world]; and likewise Panchajanya, sent forth by Vasudeva, surpassing all sounds, filled heaven and earth.
d15012731e95 · published Jul 19, 2026, 3:52:56 PM UTC
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To the many-voiced call of the Kaurava conches only two respond -- yet "sarvaśabdān atikramya", surpassing all sounds: the voice of Panchajanya in the Lord's hand covers the roar of an entire host. It is telling that Devadatta and Panchajanya are called "sarvaśaṅkhavarau", the best of conches, for they sound in the hands of the best of beings. The verse teaches that strength is not measured by the number of voices but by whose voice it is: the single call of the Supreme and His devotee covers the many voices of those who imagine themselves strong in number.